Medical instrument and method of utilizing same for eye capsulotomy

Abstract

A medical instrument including (a) a handle; (b) a cautery for burning a lens capsule of an eye at the periphery of a portion of the capsule to be removed during surgery, the cautery including a retractable-extendible cautery portion being retractable into and extendible from the handle, so as to permit insertion of the cautery portion through a small incision formed in the eye when retracted and thereafter to correspond to a peripheral extent of the portion of the capsule to be removed when extended; (c) a mechanism for retracting and extending the cautery portion, the mechanism being engaged by the handle; and (d) an arrangement for connecting the cautery with an electrical apparatus for heating the cautery portion, whereby the peripheral extent of the capsule portion to be removed is searable by the cautery portion when extended and heated.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A medical instrument, comprising: (a) a handle;   (b) a searing cautery for burning a lens capsule of an eye at the periphery of a portion of said capsule to be removed during surgery, said searing cautery including a retractable-extendible searing cautery portion being retractable into and extendible from said handle, so as to permit insertion of said searing cautery portion through a small incision formed in the eye when retracted and thereafter to correspond to a peripheral extent of said portion of said capsule to be removed when extended;   (c) a mechanism for retracting and extending said searing cautery portion, said mechanism being engaged by said handle; and   (d) an arrangement for connecting said searing cautery with an electrical apparatus for heating said searing cautery portion, whereby said peripheral extent of said capsule portion to be removed is searable by said searing cautery portion when extended and heated.   
     
     
       2. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein said handle includes a main portion and a stem portion connected thereto and forms at least one obtuse angular bend in said handle, whereas said searing cautery portion is engaged by said stem portion. 
     
     
       3. The medical instrument of claim 2, wherein said stem portion is of about 2.5 millimeters in width. 
     
     
       4. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein said searing cautery portion has a substantially circular shape when extended. 
     
     
       5. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein said searing cautery portion has a substantially oval shape when extended. 
     
     
       6. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein said mechanism includes a lever connected to said searing cautery or to an extension thereof, said lever is translatably engaged by said handle, such that translating said lever affects a degree to which said retractable-extendible searing cautery portion is retracted or extended. 
     
     
       7. The medical instrument of claim 1, further comprising an on/off control button for controlling said heating of said searing cautery portion. 
     
     
       8. The medical instrument of claim 1, wherein said searing cautery portion includes a flexible wire covered with a flexible dielectric cover, said dielectric cover is heat-transmittive. 
     
     
       9. The medical instrument of claim 8, wherein said searing cautery portion further includes a flexible heat-insulative cover on one face thereof. 
     
     
       10. A method for utilizing a medical instrument in performing phacoemulsification or extracapsular cataract surgery, comprising the steps of: (a) introducing a retracted searing cautery portion of the medical instrument into said eye;   (b) extending said retracted searing cautery portion for obtaining an extended searing cautery portion;   (c) positioning said extended cautery portion in contact with a surface of an anterior or posterior lens capsule of said eye; and   (d) electrically heating said extended searing cautery portion so as to sear said lens capsule at a peripheral extent of a portion of said lens capsule to be removed during said cataract surgery.   
     
     
       11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of: (e) removing an anterior or posterior capsule of the eye.